Chapter 221
Chapter 221
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: Dragon Scale Hunt 2 (6)
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Yuri calmed her racing heart in the face of that piercing gaze.
‘Asking about something that happened over a year ago now?’
Something felt off.
And she hadn’t left any traces that could give her away.
If she were going to get caught, it would’ve happened right back then.
Yet after staying quiet for a whole year, he was suddenly bringing up the past?
It was way too suspicious.
So Yuri played dumb for the moment.
“Huh?”
Duran’s brows furrowed slightly at Yuri’s perfectly innocent act.
“Pretending not to know?”
“I’m not pretending—I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You must know.”
“I’m not sure if this is an interrogation or leading questions, but either way, wouldn’t it be better to explain the situation in detail first? Out of nowhere, you ask if I touched some documents.”
“…….”
“Well, if you just need my answer on that point… I’ve never done anything like that.”
Duran kept his gaze fixed on her, as if seeing right through her bold claim.
Yuri stared right back without flinching.
“…….”
“…….”
The staring contest dragged on between them.
In the end, surprisingly, it was Duran who raised the white flag first.
He let out a sigh and spoke.
“…Yesterday, while I was away, an intruder ransacked my office and vanished.”
Yuri’s face twisted in disbelief at his words.
“That was yesterday—why are you telling me about it? I was on the Yoram mainland at the time!”
“You could go back and forth between Yoram mainland and this island easily enough. You’ve done it before, haven’t you?”
Even with that look screaming, ‘I know what you did last year,’ Yuri didn’t falter.
January 1st last year—she figured Duran knew she’d used the special charter ship.
‘It’d be weirder if the Black Sword deputy commander didn’t know about Yoram business.’
So Yuri just shrugged.
“Sure, but why would I go through all that hassle just to rummage through the deputy commander’s office?”
“Coming from someone who’s already broken in once and even gotten caught, that doesn’t exactly inspire trust.”
“…….”
This time, Yuri was at a loss for words.
After all, she was the one with that track record of breaking into Duran’s office amid all sorts of hardships last year.
Irritated for no good reason, she snapped.
“So because I got caught once last year, you’re pinning this on me too?”
“I’m not pinning it on you. But suspects with prior similar offenses are standard procedure in any investigation.”
“Argh, I’m really not the one! Do I look crazy enough to pull that crap again!”
“You were crazy enough to do it last year.”
“…I was young and foolish back then. Please forget it.”
“So you’re wise now?”
“At least wiser than back then. I did it out of ignorant courage at the time, but now I know how terrifying this place is… You think I’d be insane enough to raid a Certified 9th Dan deputy commander’s quarters?”
“Who knows? In my book, you’re the type who’d do something that insane even knowing full well.”
“Ugh, I’m telling you, it wasn’t me! Fine, let’s say for argument’s sake I did pull that insane stunt again and stole something!”
“And?”
“Then I’d hit somewhere worth the risk—why bother with the deputy commander’s quarters that yield jack squat for the danger? I already checked last year, and all that’s in there is a musty old blanket stinking of bachelor funk!”
“…That ‘musty bachelor blanket’ bit grates, but this defense actually holds some water.”
“So can I go now?”
Yuri puffed out her chest confidently.
She figured her argument had landed solidly.
But she was wrong.
“No, you stay put.”
“Why!”
“Until the real culprit’s caught or ironclad evidence turns up, you’re a suspect. Consider this a warning—don’t even think about running.”
Yuri sighed at his glare.
‘Damn… I’m properly hooked now.’
Truth be told, Yuri hadn’t cared much about the Dragon Scale Hunt.
As everyone predicted, it wasn’t a big deal quest for her.
Training during that time would’ve been more worthwhile.
But hearing Moochi had joined this cohort changed things.
‘That sniveling kid… he really showed up?’
Yuri recalled a distant memory.
[Hey, snivel-nose. Didn’t you say you wanted another round with me?]
[Uh? Yeah!]
[Then get ready and come to Yoram. I’ll be waiting.]
[Oh……! Yeah! I’ll… I’ll definitely come!]
It had been more of a half-joking remark to tease old man Bear than a real promise.
But according to Johan, Moochi had put in real effort to keep that promise.
Enough to go from Certified 1st Dan toward 2nd Dan, even.
Of course……
‘Not my problem.’
That alone wasn’t why Yuri had bothered with the Dragon Scale Hunt to see Moochi.
The reason he’d endured the hassle.
Simply put, he needed Moochi.
And Yuri figured it wouldn’t be hard to snag him.
But……
‘What the hell is this?’
Unexpected obstacles had her plans stalled before they even started.
Yuri glanced up at the sky.
The sun slowly climbing toward midday.
‘Around 10 a.m., give or take.’
Plenty of time until January 1st at midnight, but for Yuri, it felt tight.
‘Need to find Moochi within three hours at latest.’
The problem was not knowing when her detention would end.
If even the Black Sword Corps couldn’t catch the culprit after a full day, the real one wasn’t some pushover.
They’d track them down eventually, sure, but……
‘Can’t just sit here waiting. So then…….’
Yuri made up her mind.
She shot her hand up and shouted.
“I’ll do it!”
Duran gave her a puzzled look at the sudden outburst.
“Do what?”
Yuri replied with spirited resolve.
“Catch that real culprit… I’ll do it!”
Better to nab the damn culprit herself and clear her name than waste time like this.
Duran stared at her bold declaration in disbelief.
“…Forgot you’re a suspect?”
“If you don’t trust me, tail me from start to finish.”
“…….”
“And thieves know thieves best! As a senior with prior break-in experience, I’ll dig up every last trace of that junior thief!”
“…Was that something to brag about?”
“One condition! If I catch the real one, grant my demand.”
“Demand? What is it?”
“My demand is…….”
Yuri laid it out without hesitation.
A moment later.
Duran pondered it.
‘Her indignation seemed genuine up to now, but…….’
Considering her track record, she was someone you absolutely couldn’t trust.
Who knew what scheme she had brewing.
‘Hmm… What to do.’
After agonizing for a good while, Duran finally decided.
“Fine. I’ll… let you give it a shot.”
Yuri’s face lit up at his choice.
“Excellent decision!”
* * *
While Yuri was held up by the Black Sword troops.
The 50th Cohort poured into the Forest of Beginnings.
Soon, screams echoed from spots throughout the forest.
“W-what is this?!”
“Who are these guys?!”
“Gaaah! N-no! Not that……!”
“My dragon scale!”
Just like countless seniors before them.
The reserve 51st Batch scattered like chaff under the 50th Cohort’s whirlwind ambush.
At the center were top-rankers like Gunter leading Nelly, Ivan, Pana, Clarice, Daniel, Suleiman, and others.
They unleashed madness beyond imagination.
“Hahaha! Yes, yes! This is it!”
“Always getting our asses kicked, now flipping the script and smashing these punks… Feels fucking great! Hell yeah, this is life!”
“That Yuri bastard was feeling this rush every time he smashed us? Kahahaha!”
The 50th Cohort had suffered daily under Yuri, who’d charge in swinging wildly with, ‘You started this ranking battle, but I’ll end it!’—no holds barred.
Naturally, ranking battles devolved from spars into beatdown sessions disguised as “interviews.”
Top-rankers suffered the worst.
The skill gap with Yuri was too vast for any real resistance.
They did fight back, sure.
But what good did it do?
Even all-out attacks couldn’t graze his clothes.
Eventually, they wondered if they were really Yoram cadets or just Yuri’s practice dummies… questioning their very identity.
But now……
‘Right… I’m a Yoram cadet!’
‘I’m not some practice dummy!’
‘I can attack too! My attacks are useful! They’re meant to hit something!’
Beating down the reserve 51st was restoring their sense of self.
As most of the 50th Cohort rampaged madly through the Forest of Beginnings in a frenzy.
The first to spot the man of the hour were Nelly and Clarice.
They blinked at the scene unfolding before them.
“…It’s real?”
“It really exists?”
Yuri had been telling the truth.
He was really there.
“Wow… a hairy baldy.”
“Hairy-headed baldy!”
Smaller than a true baldy, but still boasting rippling muscles that held their own.
With hair on his head—not bald!
Just as Yuri described, a hairy-headed baldy stood there plain as day.
Only he wielded not a shield, but a massive axe-spear.
Whoosh-.
The axe-spear whipped up a crimson gale.
Clarice and Nelly instantly clocked that the hairy baldy wasn’t pushover material from its speed and power.
‘At least our level.’
‘51st Batch has a monster too.’
But the issue was him cornered, looking utterly doomed.
Whoosh-.
The axe-spear swept horizontally in a brutal arc.
Over a dozen boys and girls leaped back in panic, then charged forward again.
Watching this, Nelly and Clarice exchanged puzzled glances.
‘They’re not that bad, but not enough to push back the hairy baldy?’
‘With that axe-spear skill, he could handle twenty of those scrubs, not just ten?’
Yet the reality was the opposite.
The dozen mid-tier kids clearly held the edge.
Watching the scene.
A moment later, Clarice muttered as realization dawned.
“Clever bastards.”
Nelly nodded in agreement.
“Yeah.”
What they called clever were the boys and girls facing the hairy baldy.
“Using the Forest of Beginnings rules like that.”
“Guess there’s a sharp one among them.”
One absolute rule of this vermin pit.
No killing.
And those dozen kids exploited it perfectly, boxing in the hairy baldy.
‘When they can’t block the axe-spear, they throw themselves at it instead.’
‘Ruthless—dodging anything that’d cause light or moderate wounds, but deliberately eating potentially lethal strikes. They’re dead certain he won’t kill them.’
To avoid killing reckless rushers, the hairy baldy had to pull his spear.
Each time costing massive stamina and exposing openings.
‘If lives weren’t guaranteed… it’d be over already.’
‘The big axe-spear weapon and skill gap are backfiring here.’
Fine against tiring out equals.
But lightly wounding weaker foes to disable them didn’t suit a heavy hitter like axe-spear.
Tough spot for the hairy baldy all around, and his pallor showed how long it’d dragged on.
He looked at his limit.
Clarice and Nelly couldn’t miss it.
Clarice’s voice trembled faintly as she asked Nelly.
“…Hey, remember what Yuri Holland said?”
“Mess with hairy baldy’s info, and he’ll mess with ours?”
“Yeah.”
“Of course.”
No way they’d forget after hearing it drilled into their skulls.
But the problem was the hairy baldy’s dire straits.
“If this keeps up, that hairy baldy’s done for?”
“Probably… high chance?”
“We just gonna let it happen?”
“Hmm…….”
They pondered.
If the hairy baldy got messed up, how would ‘that guy’ react?
Nelly ventured cautiously.
“…But it wouldn’t be us messing him up, right?”
Instant rebuttal.
“You think Yuri’s gonna go, ‘Oh, got it, you’re innocent?’ and let it slide?”
“…….”
“…….”
They stared at each other.
No words needed—they thought the same.
‘No chance in hell!’
‘That psycho would absolutely… start with us!’
The 50th Cohort had come to understand Yuri’s mindset by now.
After all that abuse, failing to get it would mean they were slow learners.
And the Yuri they knew would……
[Hairy baldy in peril? → You didn’t do wrong, but he got messed up anyway? → So you get messed up too.]
…conclude.
Meaning the hairy baldy’s crisis right there……
“No way!”
“We gotta save hairy baldy no matter what!”
…was a crisis for the entire 50th Cohort.
Eyes wide, Nelly and Clarice drew weapons and charged into the fray.